It happened to me last Saturday morning. I was halfway across town after a trip to the grocery store when I realized I didn’t have my purse. With my heart pounding and my stomach churning, I raced back to the store to search for it. Nope, nothing in my parking space or at the checkout lane I’d used. But when I hurried to the customer service desk, the clerk smiled and said “A lady turned this in a little while ago.” Sure enough, there was my missing purse- completely intact, with phone and cash and credit cards all in place. Such an immense relief!

What could have been a disastrous start to the Christmas season instead became a reaffirmation that there are a lot of good people in the world. It was a touching way to lift my spirits- and calm my rattled nerves- at the beginning of the Christmas season. (And to the unknown “Christmas Angel” who rescued my purse at the Dillons store on Vine Street around noon on Saturday, I give my most sincere and heartfelt thanks!)

Last week I attended the funeral of a wonderful person whose family suggested that in lieu of memorial contributions, friends could do random acts of kindness in memory of their loved one. What a great way to get into the holiday spirit and spread it to others.

I remember the time before Christmas several years ago when a stranger paid for our meal at a restaurant in Garden City. My husband and I marveled at how wonderful it felt to receive an anonymous gift of kindness when we were least expecting it. It inspired us to look for ways to spread the joy and touch the lives of others with the holiday spirit, too.

How about you? You may be able to lift someone’s spirits with your own small act of kindness. It doesn’t even have to cost any money to surprise and delight someone with your thoughtfulness. If you need inspiration, the internet is full of ideas, stories and surprises that can jog your imagination and creativity.

A great place to start is the list of “Kindness Ideas” at the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation website. It’s huge! Check it out at www.randomactsofkindness.org.

As we embark upon the Christmas season, I encourage you to look for ways to share kindness and love with others- those you know and those you don’t know. It will make our world a better place to live.

Linda K. Beech is Ellis County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences.